The Battlefield Flower
by PerfectFlyer
Summary: This story takes place after the ending of WKC 2. The discovery of a sixth Knight spurs Leonard & Co. into another adventure. The fate of the world once again rests in their hands. (The Knights themselves play a more active role in the story.)
1. Prologue

**Author's Note**

**The character's belong to their rightful owners.**

**I was really inspired by the opening song of WKC 2, so the opening line of this story is from that song. It does not belong to me.**

* * *

_A moon hangs low in a black and bloody sky; shining down on a dark and weary world… Carefully she steps across the battlefield and around the bodies of the fallen. Her heart drops when she sees familiar white armor. Its usual glow had faded away into a deathly gray._

_ She rushes over to the fallen knight. The light is gone from his blue eyes. She mutters a quick prayer for his soul and hurries on. Worry blooms in her chest, what had become of her other friends?_

_ Next she finds a maiden, her fingers are still wrapped tightly around a bow, her arms ready to pull back the arrow in her other hand. Alas, the next arrow will not fly because she is also fallen._

_ She swallows hard as her eyes fill with tears, there is only on left, her king. She mutters another prayer and continues her pace faster than before._

_ The sound of battle reaches her ears and up ahead she sees two knights fighting her king. A knight in black and a dragon of vermillion are easily wearing down the golden king's defenses. The drake pulls back her lance and the king is dead before the woman can reach him._

_ She races over and slides down next to her king; tears awash her face. The drake levels her lance by her head._

_ "Sister do you still intend to play pacifist?"_


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**

**The character's belong to their rightful owners.**

* * *

The loud ringing of an alarm clock cut through the quiet morning air. With a moan, Helena rolled over and flung her arm out. Her hand landed on the noisy clock and her slender fingers silenced the ringing. Her hand fell away from the copper and searched around the wood of the bedside table. Her fingers closed around black cat-eyed frames.

She sat up and stretched her arms over her head. Her shoulder length green hair fell in a mess around her shoulders. She slipped the glasses onto her face and blinked her golden eyes. She got out of bed and tiptoed across the cool wooden floor.

She quickly changed into a green long sleeved tunic and black shorts. Helena brushed her hair as she studied herself in her vanity mirror. She parted her hair in the center and pulled it back into a French twist. She clipped her hair back and smiled at herself.

Helena grabbed her brown boots from the floor and sat down on the edge of her bed to put them on. After putting on the boots, she jumped to her feet and started for the door.

The pendant on her vanity caught her eye. She turned on her heels and walked back. She picked up the vine like cord and let the green pendant dangle. The cord was adorned with leaves and flowers, the foliage surrounded the circular emerald that was the pendant. Through the slightly transparent emerald could be seen a mysterious insignia.

_That's right… I can't forget to show this to Leonard._ Helena thought as she pocketed the pendant. As she walked down the stairs, she remembered how she had bought the pendant from a local merchant. It had been filthy and she had just finished clearing away the grime. The insignia was the reason she needed to show it to her friend.

Helena stepped out of her home and onto the stone streets of Balandor. The sun shone brightly overhead as she made her way to her job at Rapacci Wines. The streets were full of their usual hustle and bustle. Merchants called out to the many passersby and children ran around playing games.

Helena smiled and remembered how this peace had been hard won. Only a year ago, she and her friends had helped stop the Yshrenians from conquering Balandor and the entire world. As she neared the winery, she saw a familiar face.

"Good morning Kishan!" Helena called out to the dark skinned man as she hurried over to him. He looked down at her with his golden eyes. He nodded to her in greeting. Helena smiled as she saw he was wearing his usual gold and silver armor and his green cape. She could swear he never went anywhere dressed differently.

Kishan was a foot taller than Helena was. His short black hair hung just above his golden eyes. A single freckle was below his left eye. It surprisingly stood out on his dark complexion.

The two coworkers entered Rapacci Wines. The owner, Rapacci, was behind the front counter as usual. The warg greeted them and instantly put them to work.

Helena glanced over at the stairs when she heard one of them squeak. A young man about her age was walking down them. He stretched his arms over his head and yawned. His long auburn hair was tied back in a low ponytail. Under a leather vest, he wore a white long sleeved shirt. His brown cargo pants were tucked into his work boots.

"LEONARD!" Rapacci boomed, "You slept in AGAIN!" Leonard jumped from the sound of his voice and had to steady himself using the banister.

"Geeze Rapacci, I'm not _that_ late," Leonard tried to ease the older man's fury towards him. "I'll get right to work."

"You better," Rapacci grumbled, "Useless kid…"

Leonard cast Rapacci a look as he walked over to Helena and Kishan.

"Hello you two," Leonard grinned. His blue eyes shined.

"Hello," Helena smiled back at him. Kishan nodded and returned his greeting.

Suddenly there was a commotion outside. The three coworkers' eyes shot to the door instantly. Through the thick wooden doors and stone walls screams and cries could be heard. Leonard dashed through the doors, Helena and Kishan at his heels. Rapacci didn't even try to stop them, that's what he got for having heroes for employees.

Leonard looked around quickly; the screams were coming from the main road. A woman ran down the street towards them. Leonard easily intercepted her.

"Ma'am, what's going on?" He asked her. The woman took a moment to catch her breath.

"There…there's a lion on the loose!" She exclaimed. "The soldiers are trying to catch it, but it's rampaging now!"

"Please, get inside where it's safe," Helena told her. The woman nodded and hurried away. The group ran up the stairs that lead to the main road and sure enough, a group of soldiers was trying to wrangle a lion.

The lion's pure white coat caught the sun's rays and it made the feline appear to shimmer.

"I've never seen anything like it," Kishan stated. The lion roared causing the soldiers around it to scatter. They threw a net onto the feral cat but it easily ripped the rope apart. When a soldier tried to get close the lion would swipe a large clawed paw at him.

"It looks like they need some help," Leonard started forward.

"Wait, are you sure about this!" Helena questioned him.

Leonard shrugged, "We've fought worse." Helena sighed, he was right. She looked over at Kishan.

"Come on we may as well help."

Kishan nodded and joined them as they went over to the lion.

The lion thrashed about again and knocked some soldiers to the ground. Helena quickly went over to help the wounded while Leonard and Kishan focused on the lion.

"You civilians should get to safety," One of the soldiers commanded.

"You looked like you needed some help," Leonard nonchalantly replied. He drew his sword, "And besides we're hardly civilians."

The lion roared and the shockwaves knocked a few of the soldiers off their feet. Kishan and Leonard easily held their ground. Leonard met the lion's glowing blue eyes. He could see the fear in them. The lion had stopped and they were looking at each other. Leonard slowly sheathed his sword.

He took a hesitant step towards the lion. Somehow, he knew that the lion was just frightened and confused. The cat wasn't trying to cause trouble. Leonard held the lion's gaze as he continued to walk towards it.

"What's he doing?" The soldier snapped, "Boy that beast is dangerous!"

Leonard did not take his eyes from the lions as he slightly shook his head in response. He felt a strange connection to the animal. Leonard was directly in front of the beast now. He slowly reached a hand out.

The cat growled and Leonard froze, but did not step back. Once the growling had stopped, he carefully placed his hand on the lion's nose. A smile crept onto Leonard's face.

"There we go…" He whispered and patted the lion's nose. "You just needed to calm down, huh?" He scratched behind the lion's ear and a rumbling sound came from the feline's chest.

"You're not so scary. You're just one really big house cat. Just like Marmalade…" Leonard smiled widely as he petted the lion. The big cat easily reminded him of his orange housecat. He glanced over to see the shocked expressions of the soldiers.

"He was just scared," Leonard told them. "I don't think he'll cause any more trouble."

"Figures, the White Knight would figure out a way to charm a lion…" Kishan muttered.

"Wait, you're _the_ White Knight?" One of the soldiers gasped. Leonard laughed and nodded, "Yeah."

Helena shook her head and smiled. Even if they were heroes not many people knew what they looked like. People may know their names and their heroic deeds, but it was doubtful that they knew the face to match.

Leonard patted the lion on the head and grinned down at it.

{_"Master, why did thou abandon me?"}_

Leonard blinked in surprise. The lion stepped away from him and started towards Central Plaza.

"What?" Leonard furrowed his brow as he turned to watch the lion. The lion glanced back at him.

{_"Master, why did thou abandon me?"}_

The lion shone brightly and was gone.

"I wonder what that thing was…" Helena said what everyone else was thinking.

"Well it's gone now," Kishan shrugged, "We better get back to work."

_Didn't anyone else hear that?_ Leonard stared at where the lion had just been. _That voice sounded so familiar…_

"Leonard, are you coming?" Helena called back to him.

"Yeah!" Leonard easily caught up with them and they headed back to Rapacci Wines. They got back to work and the rest of the day was uneventful. Throughout the day, the conversation constantly went back to the mysterious lion. Helena and Kishan discussed the beast and tried to figure out what the lion had actually been.

Leonard, on the other hand, stayed surprisingly silent. Helena noticed the oddly pensive silence that had befallen Leonard. The subject of the lion made him suddenly distant. She wasn't sure if she should press the matter, so she decided against it.

Leonard had been trying to remember where he had heard that voice before. It was familiar to him and he was racking his mind trying to place it. The glowing blue eyes of the lion had communicated as much as the voice had.

Betrayal and hurt had shone brightly in those strong eyes.

The day's work was soon over and everyone turned in for the night. Upon returning home, Helena chided herself for forgetting to show Leonard the pendant.

_There's always tomorrow…_ She told herself as she prepared for sleep. As she settled into bed, her thoughts fell back to the lion. It was the reason she had forgotten to show Leonard the pendant in the first place. She promised herself that she'd remember to show him the pendant later as she drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

**The character's belong to their rightful owners.**

* * *

Leonard stared up at the ceiling of his room. Sleep was eluding him because the white lion was still nagging on his mind. He sighed and turned over on his side. A smile pulled at his lips when he found his orange cat was curled up next to him.

Marmalade was sleeping soundly and Leonard wished that he could fall asleep as easily.

_That lion…why was it so familiar…?_ He wondered as he ran his hand over Marmalade's back. _More importantly, why can't I stop thinking about it?_ He shook his head, he couldn't stop thinking about the lion, but the more he thought about it, the less answers he could find.

Light danced across the wall, which made Leonard look up. He sat up and looked over his shoulder at the window. It was the only place light could have filtered into the dark room. He got to his feet and went over to the window. He pushed the glass open and peered into the starry night.

A soundless peace had settled over the city. Leonard leaned against the windowsill and wondered if he had just imagined the light. He glanced down at the street and his eyes widened. The white lion was looking up at him from below. Its white coat glowed softly and illuminated the area around itself.

Leonard dressed quickly and started out of his room. He tiptoed past Rapacci's room and hoped that he didn't wake him. Invoking Rapacci's wrath was something he wanted to avoid. Leonard skipped the squeaky step as an extra precaution and finally made it out of the shop.

There was no trace of the white lion and Leonard frowned.

_Great… Now I know I'm seeing things._

He sighed and turned to go back inside, but another flash of light caught his eye. The lion was farther down the street now. It stared at Leonard for a while before it turned and started up the street. Leonard hesitated but followed the lion, somehow knowing that the lion wanted him to follow.

The lion lead him through the empty streets and the entire time Leonard tried to guess where it would take him. It took him past the shops and towards the canal. The lion walked down the steps to the water and waited for Leonard.

Just as Leonard was walking down the steps, the lion walked through a door. Leonard blinked in surprise, the lion had phased through the door as if there had been nothing solid in its way. He pushed the door open and shut it behind him. He knew where the door led.

_This secret passage goes underneath the city and the castle… Why would it lead me here…?_ The passage was completely dark; no one had used it in ages. The lion glowed like a beacon through the darkness. As the lion walked forward, the torches on the walls became lit and helped to light the way.

Leonard looked around the corners and into the dark hallways. He knew that monsters lurked in this passage and expected one to jump out at any moment. He instinctively reached for his sword and found that it wasn't on his hips. He cursed himself for forgetting his weapon in his rush to leave the shop.

Surprisingly they made it through the passage without incident. The lion walked past the door that lead to the castle and continued further down the passage. Leonard followed the lion out onto a large spiral stairwell. There was only one place that the lion could be taking him; he knew what was at the bottom of this staircase.

Leonard pushed the door of the treasure vault open. The lion was sitting by the White Knight's Ark. The room was completely lit up by candles. Leonard walked towards the lion and stopped when the lion spoke.

{_"Master, I live to serve thee. Why did thou abandon me?"}_

Leonard furrowed his brow. "Who are you?"

_{"Master…Please…I long to return to your side."}_

"Wait…" Leonard went over to the lion. "You can't be…?"

{_"Master I know thou made a promise, but please don't leave me in this darkness any longer."}_

"…Wizel?"


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

**I don't own White Knight Chronicles and all the characters belong to their rightful owners.**

* * *

Leonard looked up when he heard a knock on his door. He glanced down at the white gauntlet in his hand before he called out.

"Come in!"

The door opened and Helena peered inside. He smiled at her and she smiled shyly back.

"Hello Leonard," She only stepped inside when he motioned for her to enter.

"Hey, did you need something?" Leonard asked as he tucked the dagger into its place on the gauntlet.

"Yes. I wanted to sh-Wait is that the White Knight's Ark?" Helena stopped midsentence to ask her question. She pointed at the gauntlet and dagger pair in confusion. Leonard nodded as he hooked the Ark to his belt. Everything felt right again now that he had the Ark back.

"When did you go to the castle to get it back?"

Leonard shrugged, "It's not important. Didn't you want to show me something?" Even though Helena hadn't finished her thought he could figure that's what she had wanted to say. Helena flushed lightly and nodded. She hurriedly pulled a pendant from her pocket.

She held it out to him.

"The insignia on this looks just like the one on your Ark…" Helena explained. "I just thought you should see it."

Leonard reached out and his fingers touched the pendant. A dazzling light exploded from the pendant. Helena let out a cry and put up her arms to shield her eyes. Leonard put up a hand to block the light as well. The White Knight's Ark detached itself from Leonard's belt and floated up next to the pendant.

The Ark and pendant pulsed, resonating with each other. The Ark glowed brightly and four multicolored lights shot out from it. After the lights subsided, the two artifacts fell to the floor.

"…what just happened?" Helena whispered as she stared at the pendant.

"I have no idea." Leonard slowly bent down and picked up the White Knight's Ark. He could still feel Wizel's presence. He picked up the pendant and handed it back to Helena.

"Maybe we should show this to Eldore," He suggested. When he mentioned the older man's name Helena blushed. Leonard smiled because he knew the reason for her embarrassment.

"…I guess we could…" Helena's voice was quiet once more. Leonard smiled at her.

"Since you like him so much it'll give you an excuse to talk to him."

Helena blushed deeply.

"Leonard! It's…just…I-I get so flustered when I'm…around him." Helena stammered. "Eldore must think I'm a fool… I never used to be like this around him." She sighed and sat down on the edge of Leonard's bed.

"Hey, come on!" Leonard took her hand and pulled her to her feet. "We have to tell him about this pendant and what just happened. If anyone would know what happened, it would be him. Come on!"


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**

**I don't own White Knight Chronicles and all characters belong to their respectable owners.**

**Here's chapter four!**

* * *

Eldore had watched the multicolored lights arc through the noonday sky. He was sitting on a bench with his two Bigelows. The owl like birds' chatter mixed with the noise of the street. It wasn't long after he watched the lights that he saw Leonard and Helena making their way towards him.

The older man sighed; somehow, he had known that they had something to do with the lights.

"Hey Eldore!" Leonard greeted him warmly.

"Hello Leonard, Helena," Eldore responded. "Did you two have something to do with today's lightshow?"

Leonard laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head.

"How'd you know?"

"It was just a hunch." A small smile had formed on Eldore's features. The smile made Helena's pulse jump and she smiled shyly in return.

"Now, what did you two do?"

Leonard quickly explained what had happened and he showed Eldore the pendant. Eldore took the pendant from him and frowned.

"…but there were only five Knights…Unless…" Eldore muttered to himself.

"…Unless what?" Helena asked quietly.

"There is no doubt in my mind that this is an Ark." Eldore explained.

"What? But how?" Leonard gasped. "There are only five Knights."

Eldore had his brow furrowed in deep thought. He shook his head.

"No… I believe there was another. Right before I left the Dogma Age another prophecy was being foretold… I only heard pieces of it. It didn't involve my queen so I ignored it without thinking."

"…Did the prophets speak of another Knight?" Helena questioned.

"Yes. They spoke of a single Knight that Yshrenia hadn't used in battle. No one had ever seen the Knight so I didn't believe it… Now… Now that I see this pendant, it's too much like an Ark to be ignored."

"The Final Awakening occurred with only the five Knights," Leonard protested, "How could there possibly be another Knight if the Final Awakening needed _all_ the Knights to occur?"

"…It…It could have _only_ needed five." Helena offered. "Who's to say…that there isn't another Incorruptus somewhere…?"

"I wish I knew more about that prophecy," Eldore frowned, "Helena you could very well be right. We just need to do a little digging… We'll have to ask Princess Cisna if we can use the royal archives, there should be something there."

"Alright, then let's go to the castle," Leonard grinned. He couldn't wait to see the princess he was so fond of. Helena and Eldore smiled at his eagerness. They could easily tell that Leonard was interested in Princess Cisna.

The three went to the castle and as they entered, they were welcomed by the Castle Guard. Princess Cisna was sitting on the throne, which was a rare occurrence. She was very involved with her subjects and kingdom so she was usually up and about.

A smile formed on her face when she saw Leonard approach.

"Hello Leonard," She greeted him and then greeted Helena and Eldore. "What brings you to the castle?"

"We were wondering if we could browse the royal archives. Something of interest demanded our attention and we require some additional information on the matter," Eldore explained. Cisna nodded.

"Of course. This castle is practically your home, all of its resources are yours to use."

"Thank you Princess," Eldore bowed. "By your leave." Helena and Eldore departed for the library, but Leonard stayed. He wanted to spend some time with Cisna; it had been a while since they had last spoken.

"So Cisna…Do you want to take a walk around the castle gardens?" Leonard asked her with a smile. She nodded and smiled back.

"I'd love to."

Leonard took her hand and helped her off the throne. As they walked through the castle to the lush gardens, their conversation was light and casual. Cisna may have been the princess of Balandor but when she was around Leonard all formalities were gone.

The two walked out into the warm sunlight. Cisna's bell like laughter sounded like music to Leonard's ears. The garden was empty and it was just the two of them walking. The perfect afternoon lent itself in Leonard's favor. He summoned up some courage and decided now was the time to tell her how he felt.

"So Cisna… I've been thinking…" Leonard started. He was suddenly shy.

"About what?" Cisna tilted her head.

"Well-" He started; but was cut off when someone called out to the princess. The two of them turned around to see the Captain of the Castle Guard walking over to them with his long strides.

"Yes Captain Cyrus, did you need something?" Cisna smiled at him.

"I wanted to speak to you…" Cyrus trailed off when his gray eyes fell on Leonard. "I'm not interrupting something am I?" Cisna shook her head before Leonard could protest.

"No. We were just talking," Cisna's smile never faltered.

"I'll just speak to you later Princess," Cyrus bowed and turned to leave.

"It's alright Captain, I'm sure anything that you need to discuss with me, we can discuss around Leonard." Cisna was quick to make him stay. The sandy-blonde captain hesitated for a moment.

"Uh…Alright." He rubbed the back of his head and muttered. "…not how I planned but this'll have to do…" Cyrus cleared his throat and spoke.

"Princess Cisna, I am your knight and I shall to protect you at all costs. You are everything to me and more. I would fight off a thousand armies just to get to you. For you are my princess and it is my duty to serve you. Princess, I love you, now and forever." Cyrus dropped down onto one knee and opened the little box he had been hiding in his hand. "Cisna will you marry me?"

Cisna gasped softly and tried to hide her surprise with her hands. A large smile quickly sprung to life on her face. Tears of joy bubbled up in her eyes.

"Y-yes! Cyrus, yes!" She stammered. "I will marry you!" Surprise shone plainly on Cyrus' face. He shrugged it off and quickly put the ring on Cisna's finger. He scooped the princess into his arms and lifted her off her feet. Cisna wrapped her arms around Cyrus' neck and placed a kiss on his lips.

It was an enormously happy moment for the couple but…for Leonard his dreams had just been shattered into a million pieces. For a moment, Leonard stood in a frozen shock. A knot twisted in his stomach and threatened to make him sick. All the color had drained from his face.

Cisna looked at Cyrus in a way that was different than she had ever looked at Leonard.

_So she had loved him all along…_ Leonard swallowed hard and forced a smile.

"Congratulations," He told them. Cisna's smile faded when she saw Leonard's pained expression. Her thanks died on her tongue.

"Leonard are you feeling alright?" He couldn't help but to wonder if she was actually concerned about him.

"I'm fine." Leonard lied. He still kept his forced smile. "I should leave you two alone…" It wasn't even a moment after he said those words that he turned and fled.

"Leonard wait!" Cisna called after him. Leonard ignored her call and picked up his pace into a run. The harsh glare of the sun glinted off the White Knight's Ark and commanded Cisna's attention. She frowned at the sight of it.


	6. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:**

**I don't own White Knight Chronicles and all characters belong to their rightful owners.**

**Here's chapter five. Honestly, I'm surprised anyone is reading this. Thanks!**

* * *

Eldore walked through the many shelves of the royal archives. His dark green cape billowed slowly with each step. The metal on his boots clinked softly against the tile. He stopped when one of the older books caught his attention. He carefully pulled it from its place.

Helena was also searching for any information on the sixth Incorruptus. She held the pendant by the chain. The gem glowed softly.

Eldore glanced up from the pages of the book when Helena entered the row.

"Find anything?" He asked her as he looked back down at the ancient text. Helena shook her head and whispered a no. The subtle glow of the pendant intensified. Helena lifted the pendant up from her side and looked at it curiously.

A picture was starting to form underneath the jewel's surface. At first, it was fuzzy, but it slowly came into focus. Helena's eyes widened when she recognized the image. At the moment she recognized the image the light faded away and with it the image.

"Did the Ark tell you where the Knight is located?" Eldore's question drew Helena's attention. She blushed lightly when she realized that he must have been staring at her the entire time. She nodded.

"Yes... I-I know where the Knight is…" Helena whispered and as she pocketed the pendant. Eldore smiled gently at her. He closed the book.

"I've discovered more about the Knight. Come, we should report our findings to Leonard."

As the two exited the archives, they were met by Cisna. The blonde princess had her hands on her hips and her expression was far from pleased.

"Why does Leonard have his Ark?" Cisna demanded. "What exactly are you researching?" Helena and Eldore looked at each other.

"…Well Leonard wouldn't tell me why he had his Ark," Helena began.

"We've also discovered another Ark." Eldore finished. "Apparently this new Ark resonated with the White Knight's Ark. We're trying to figure out what kind of magic has been triggered."

Cisna sighed and folded her arms across her chest.

"Why such a heavy sigh Princess?" Helena asked, "Did something happen?"

"Well…"

Leonard was lying on his bed, his face in his pillow. Marmalade walked over to him and sniffed his master's hair. The orange cat let out a distressed meow that made Leonard look up. Marmalade rubbed his head against Leonard's cheek. Leonard couldn't help but to smile. He reached up and patted Marmalade on the head.

"Thanks for trying to make me feel better…I guess it helps…" He sighed and rested his chin on his palm. "…You know I probably shouldn't have run all the way home… I must look like some hero right?" He scoffed at his own actions. "It's not like it matters anyway. Cisna wouldn't care." Leonard let out another sigh, this one heavier than the first.

"Cisna…"

He dropped his face back onto his pillow.

"Marmalade…I could just die."

Marmalade meowed in disagreement and butted Leonard with his head. When his master didn't look up the cat batted him with his paw. Leonard didn't look up, but he did run his hand across Marmalade's back.

There was a knock at the door. Leonard didn't react. The knock came again and got the same response.

"Leonard, I know you're in there. Can we talk?"

Leonard slowly sat up and glared at the door.

"Fine." He shot back in response.

The door opened and in stepped Cyrus. The captain closed the door behind him.

"I…uh…noticed how upset you were…" Cyrus tried to speak but Leonard's dagger like gaze wasn't making it easy. "…okay. I get it. You don't really want to see me." Cyrus sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm going to try anyway… To tell you the truth, I thought Cisna was going to reject me right then…"

Leonard raised an eyebrow. That was enough to spur Cyrus to continue, he knew he had Leonard's attention.

"You were right by her side. If you heard the way she talks about you... I thought I had no chance at all. Cisna is hard woman to read. She shows a compassion to everyone she meets… She's always been like that…" Cyrus stopped himself before he could say anything more about his fiancée. "All I'm saying is…I'm just as shocked as you are…and…and I guess I should apologize for your having to see that."

Leonard sighed loudly and fell back onto the pillows.

"You're perfect for her, you know?"

"Wh-what?" Cyrus blinked in surprise, "Do you really think that?"

"You're just as kind as she is." Leonard smiled sadly. "You proved that to me by seeking me out like this…" Leonard sat up, "You'll make a great king Cyrus."


	7. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:**

**I do not own White Knight Chronicles and all characters belong to their rightful owners. Also, I mentioned before that the songs of White Knight Chronicles inspired me greatly. Lines from 'Fly! My Blue Bird' are present in this next part, those lines - altered or used word for word - do not belong to me. I used them only to aid in the telling of the tale, just as I did in the prologue.**

**I'm sorry for such a late update! But finally, here is chapter 6!**

* * *

_The vermillion drake stands with the black knight. The sky above them is dark and lit with little white stars. The drake's claw is intertwined with the fingers of the knight. She leans against his shoulder as her gaze moves up to the stars._

_ "I believe a time will come for us," the drake speaks softly. "And I believe our journey ends in love…" The knight squeezes her hand._

_ "We shall forever play in the darkness of the night once we defeat them."_

_ "Here and now you know I see our destiny…" the drake looks over at him. She steps away and releases his hand. "Fly on high, my black bird fly."_

"Caesar! Caesar!" The woman's voice drew him out of his sleep. Caesar raised his head and blinked his red eyes at her.

"What is it Kara?"

The blonde crossed her arms and sighed. Her black leather bustier had long bell sleeves and pink bows. She wore black shorts. Black high-heeled thigh high boots completed the black assembly. Fingerless gloves covered her hands.

She rolled her violet eyes.

"Caesar you fell asleep at your desk, I was worried that you'd begin to drool on your paperwork."

Caesar let out a huff of annoyance.

"I did not fall asleep, I took a nap." He grinned up at her, "Thanks for saving my paperwork by the way." He nonchalantly wiped his mouth and hoped Kara didn't notice. He looked back down at his paper work and sighed. He leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head.

His dreadlocks were pulled back in a ponytail. He wore a red bolero that closed in the front with a golden chain. Red coattails that matched the bolero were connected to his white pants. Brown boots with metal toes were on his feet. An elaborate necklace rested around his neck and matched the gold that adored his entire outfit.

His mind trailed back to the dream of the drake and knight. He twisted his lips in thought.

_What on earth was that dream…?_ He had experienced the dream from the drake's point of view. The strong feeling of love she felt for the knight was still fresh in his mind…and he could still feel the strong emotion in his chest.

"Is there something on your mind?" Kara sat down on the corner of Caesar's desk. Caesar glanced at her and shook his head.

"I just had a weird dream."

Kara could tell that there was something more to it than just 'weird', but she didn't push him to tell her.

Caesar stopped leaning and the front two legs of his chair knocked against the floor. He stood and rolled his shoulders.

"Look at all this work I have to do! Some days I wish that Greede would run itself!" He smiled at Kara, "Walk with me while I take my break?"

"You just took a nap, you don't need a break," Kara rolled her eyes, but let Caesar take her hand and lead her out of the room.

The two walked through the gardens that surrounded the mansion. The mansion's gardens were some of the only greenery in all of Greede. The city was very industrialized with little room to spare for plants.

"I told you, the Count is busy, he doesn't have time for any of your religious malarkey!" Caesar recognized the voice of one of the gate guards. His curiosity took him to the gate.

"Is there a problem?" He asked. The warg guard turned around at the sound of Caesar's voice.

"Count Caesar," He bowed. "There isn't a problem. Sorry to disturb you."

Caesar looked through the bars of the metal gate at the visitor. It was a petite person. A long black cloak completely hid their small frame. A hood cast a shadow over their features.

"Remove your hood," Caesar ordered. The visitor hesitated for a moment but slowly lifted up slender hands to push the hood back. The visitor was revealed to be a young girl.

She had long black hair and her bangs hung just above her red eyes. The long strands of hair that bordered her face were tucked into cylinder like clips. She smiled shyly up at Caesar.

"Milord I come bearing news of the divine Knights." She put her palms together and bowed deeply. "I'm Hilia. I'm a Dogma Priestess."

"A Dogma Priestess?" Kara furrowed her brows.

"Open the gates," Caesar commanded. "I'll speak to you Hilia." Kara glanced at Caesar skeptically.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, there's something about her…" Caesar squinted at the girl as the guards opened the gate. "…I can't put my finger on it." Kara shrugged; she had to trust Caesar's Dragonsight, as much as she didn't want to.

Hilia slowly walked through the gate and followed Caesar and Kara into the mansion. The three settled down in the sitting room.

"So what did you have to tell me about the Knights?" Caesar asked as he reclined in his chair. He put his hands behind his head.

"Well…Not too long ago the deities of the Knights were freed from the White Knight's Ark. You see after the Final Awakening the Knights were sealed inside the White Knight's Ark. They were freed by the power of the sixth and final Knight." Hilia explained.

"A sixth Knight?" Kara raised an eyebrow, "There are only five Knights. All the Knights had to come together for the Final Awakening."

Hilia shook her head.

"No, you see the Final Awakening only required five of the six Knights. The final Knight is the strongest of all the Knights. It was sealed away and only after the Final Awakening would this Knight awake."

"Wait, you're saying that this Knight is stronger than the Sun King?" Caesar asked quickly.

"Yes. King Adolmaea even bows to her will. She is the mother of the Knights… If she were to be fully awakened…" Hilia trailed off as her gaze fell to the floor. "The world might never be the same again…"

"You said the deities of the Knights were freed from the White Knight's Ark, does that mean that this sixth Knight will awaken soon?" Caesar leaned forward suddenly concerned.

"Yes." Hilia nodded. "You must have felt the presence of Madame Larvayne return to you."

Caesar unhooked the Dragon Knight's Ark from his belt and looked at it. The Ark was a vermillion dragon shaped belt.

"I did notice that she was back…but I still can't call on her power."

"She is asleep." Hilia informed him. "She will awaken in time, but she won't awaken in time to stop the sixth Knight."

"You're a Priestess, right? So did you come here to give guidance or just foretell the inevitable?" Kara snapped. Hilia jumped from her sharpness. She still addressed Caesar when she spoke.

"I can awaken Madame Larvayne using a ritual. This would allow you to call upon her for help once more."

"Alright what do you need for the ritual?"

"Caesar!" Kara intervened, "You're just going to trust her?"

"Kara my Dragonsight doesn't lie. Hilia is here to help." Caesar waved away her concern. He turned back to Hilia and waited for her to answer.

"We must go to Madame Larvayne's temple. It rests in Bunker Lode Caverns."

Caesar nodded and stood, "Let's go, the Demithor is up so it shouldn't be too hard to get to the ruins."

Hilia followed Caesar out the door, but Kara stayed seated. She didn't want anything to do with this business. She knew she couldn't talk Caesar out of going, so there was no reason to accompany them.

_If he gets himself into a mess, he can get _himself_ out of it…_ Kara rolled her eyes.

The Priestess and the Count walked into the ruins of Bunker Lode Caverns. The remains of an altar could be seen by the far wall. The rest of the space was surprisingly empty. Caesar had overseen the excavation of the ruins, but he had never realized that the ruins were the remains of a temple honoring Larvayne.

"You mentioned before that the Knights had deities in them… I never really thought about them. Were they worshiped before Yshrenia used them for the Knights?" Caesar asked. Hilia nodded.

"Yes, the deities were regarded as gods…or rather they still are by the few that remember." Hilia informed him. "In my veins run the strongest bloodline of priests and priestesses. Since the age of our worship has past, I call myself a Dogma Priestess. I'm the last of those who remember."

"Interesting…" Caesar muttered. She was hiding something and that single piece of hidden information was bothering him. He could see everything else about her and that's what really bothered him.

"Do you want me to perform the ritual now?" Hilia asked. Caesar nodded, "Yes. What is it you need me to do?"

"Just stand towards the center of the room."

Caesar did as he was directed. Once he was in place Hilia dropped to her knees and clasped her hands together. She bowed her head and began to murmur a prayer in the language of the ancients.

The ground around Caesar began to glow. The vermillion light formed a circle on the ground with an intricate design and archaic runes of power. This powerful magic had been lost through the ages. The Dragon Knight's Ark began to radiant with energy and it circled Caesar.

Hilia lifted her head and outstretched her arms.

"Oh Larvayne vermillion drake, lever of ancient lands, lover to Darkness, and bringer of Chaos, awaken from your slumber and release yourself from the shackles placed upon you by Gaea, rise Mother of Dragons, arise!"

A burst of vermillion light enveloped Caesar. The Dragon Knight's Ark settled in Caesar's open palm. The aquamarine eyes of the Ark glowed brightly.

_"Sister, I'm finally free."_


	8. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:**

**I don't own White Knight Chronicles and all characters belong to their respectable owners.**

**The first line of this chapter is from 'The Travelers', I edited it a bit to better suit my purposes, so I don't own it. Another thing about that first line, it mostly relates to what happened last chapter and really has no tie into this one. It seemed weird to me to have it as the last line of chapter 6 so I stuck it here, even though it doesn't really fit.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_Oh so quietly, the eyes of the goddess open wide… Arise! The journey's begun._

"Ugh…my head…" He muttered as he slowly sat up and rubbed his head. He winced.

"Hey, don't rush it," A young woman's voice chided. Soft hands helped him to sit up. The young man blinked his emerald green eyes at the pink haired woman. He smiled shyly; she was attractive. She wore a long sleeved dress that had a short skirt with hot pants underneath and thigh high boots.

"Hello…" He trailed off and looked around at his surroundings. He was sitting on a bed in a comfortably furnished room. "Where am I?"

"I found you passed out on the beach by the vineyards. I took you back here to Parma," She explained. "I've been nursing you back to health ever since."

"Oh, thank you!" He grinned widely as he brushed his messy red hair from his eyes. "I'm Nathanial. What's your name?" He put out his hand.

"I'm Yulie," She smiled and shook his hand. Yulie blushed lightly as she released his hand, she had certainly felt a spark between them, and she just wondered if he had.

"I guess you're probably wondering why I was passed out on the beach…" Nathanial trailed off.

"I'd like to know if that's okay," Yulie nodded.

"You see our ship got caught in a storm and sunk. I had to ditch my armor so I wouldn't sink like a rock." He motioned to his black under armor and sighed. "I lost everything, my armor, my lance, my shield…my mates… I hope they're okay."

"I bet they're just fine," Yulie touched his arm and smiled, "At least you still have your wallet."

"What?" Nathanial quickly grabbed the pouch from his belt and grinned widely. He cradled the pouch in his palms. "Thank the gods… At least I can get new equipment!"

"See there's a silver lining to every situation," Yulie smiled. "I can take you to Balandor, they have great blacksmiths there."

"Would you?" Nathanial was hopeful, "You've done so much for me already. I have to repay you!"

Yulie waved him off.

"Nah, I help people all the time."

"I insist!"

"Alright…" Yulie crossed her arms and thought for a moment, "How about one date?"

Nathanial blushed lightly from her directness, but nodded and smiled.

"Alright, one date! …just after we buy my equipment right?"

Yulie laughed.

"Yes, after we buy your equipment."

The two walked through Balastor Plain to Balandor. They perused the shops in search of equipment for Nathanial.

"So you're a lance user, huh?" Yulie asked as Nathanial looked said weapon.

"Yeah, my father taught me how to use one," He replied as he tilted the weapon this way and that. "I'm just sad I lost mine… It was perfectly weighted." He shrugged, "Well what's done is done. My lance is at the bottom of the ocean now so no use crying over it."

"I prefer a bow, so I don't know anything about lances," Yulie shrugged.

"Oh, a bow wielder huh?" Nathanial glanced at her. "You must be one heck of a markswoman." Yulie laughed.

"I don't know about that…"

They two walked out of the armory, Nathanial with a new lance and shield in hand.

"Where were you sailing to when your ship got caught in the storm?" Yulie inquired.

"I was heading to Re-um… My new job," Nathanial quickly corrected himself. "So I probably won't need new armor since it's standard issue… My employer just won't be too happy with me." He laughed nervously.

"I'm sure that your employer will understand," Yulie comforted him. "He'll be happy you made it in one piece! You must be a mercenary, huh? Or maybe you're a knight?"

"…You could say I'm a mercenary…" Nathanial hesitated.

"Hey Yulie!" Yulie didn't get a chance to question Nathanial further because she heard Kishan call her name. The tall man quickly reached them with his long strides.

"What's the matter Kishan?" Yulie raised an eyebrow. He would have never called out to her unless it had been important.

"We need to go to the castle right away," He informed her.

"Oh," Yulie blinked in surprise. "Is something wrong?"

Kishan glanced at Nathanial.

"I'll explain when we get there."

"You must be an important woman, Yulie, to be getting called to the castle like this," Nathanial said. "We'll have to put a rain check on that date."

Yulie nodded.

"Yeah… Sorry about that Nathanial. If you ever need to find me, I'm usually in Parma Village." Yulie smiled. "I hope we meet again soon." Yulie waved to him as she hurried away with Kishan.

"…yeah…" Nathanial looked down at his shield sadly and muttered. "…I just hope it's not on the battlefield."


End file.
